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Final Fantasy 25th anniversary celebration includes FFXIII 'developments' talk
Square Enix's "Fabula Nova Crystallis" world – the occasionally bizarre and often beautiful universe of several Final Fantasy XIII titles – is scheduled for a big exposé as part of Square's 25th anniversary celebration for the Final Fantasy series. A stage presentation on September 1 in Tokyo's Shibuya district titled, "Final Fantasy XIII Lightnight Saga: New Developments Presentation" apparently features "details on the future of the FFXIII project" (via Andriasang's translation).Beyond Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2, the Fabula Nova Crystallis series extends to Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Final Fantasy Agito XIII (renamed Final Fantasy Type-0). Of the planned "trilogy" of games, the only one yet to see release is Final Fantasy Versus XIII. In fact, nothing has been heard of the title in quite some time – it was a no show both at last year's Tokyo Game Show and this year's E3 Expo. A demo of the next-gen technology supporting Versus, the Luminous Engine, was given at E3, but Versus wasn't part of the presentation.Kotaku's reporting that the game may be in flux or cancelled, though Square Enix reps refused to comment on the status of the title. With any luck, we'll find out more this September.
Codemasters giving Dirt 3 a Complete Edition
Codemasters has announced that it's releasing a "Complete Edition" of Dirt 3, due out sometime this March for Windows, Xbox 360, and the PS3. The $39.99 release will include the full game, 12 new tracks in two different new locations and lots of new cars and liveries to play around with.The two new tracks run through the snowy mountain roads of the Alps and some urban streets in Shibuya, Tokyo, and the new cars include the BMW M3 Rally, the Ford Escort Mk II and the Mini Cooper S Gymkhana, in addition to a slew of others. You can see a few shots of the game below, and read the entire press release after the break.%Gallery-147123%
Teamlab's hangers use RFID to take shopping into the 21st century (video)
Ever heard of an UltraTechnologist before? Yeah, neither have we, but a group of those imaginatively monikered folks have banded their engineering and design skills together to update the shopping experience. Issued from their Teamlab art collective, a batch of RFID-embedded hangers were put to the interactive test at Vanquish, a men's store in Japan's uber fashionable Shibuya district. So, how do these newfangled clothes hangers work? Garments lifted off the rack by a curious customer send a signal to a nearby screen that'll display a front and back preview of the selected outfit -- fitted to an impossibly chiseled model's body, of course. The Teamlab hangers can also be used to manipulate a shop's booming soundtrack and lighting, although we imagine that could get quite messy. So, if you count yourself amongst the claustrophobes that can't handle those encroaching dressing room walls or if you simply take your style cues from photoshopped images of perfection then, hey -- this tech's for you.
TUAW's Daily App: Shibuya
We're finishing up our week of minimal game experiences with an app that's probably the "most game" of the lot. Shibuya is actually a puzzle game, but it's also pretty trippy. The idea is that you must organize colors into stripes as they drop down the screen, and whenever two stripes of the same color touch, they get cleared off the board. The difficulty is that you aren't given the colors in the same order, so as the spikes drop, it's up to you to lay them all out correctly so that two like colors actually touch. It's a little tough to explain, but just playing it will allow you to figure it out. You basically have to think ahead about how you lay the colors out before they drop down to match themselves up. It's really fun, and the music is a nice bonus -- it's very well done. There are two gameplay modes to play around with, and there are tons of achievements to earn with Game Center integration, as well as leaderboards to compete on. The game is US$1.99 on the App Store, and those two bucks will give you plenty to do as you try to master this fun and eclectic title.
Engadget Japan reader meetup is tonight in Tokyo!
It's that time again. Our friends at Engadget Japan are having another reader meetup, and yes, that means you, dear reader, are cordially and personally invited to join us -- again one of CEATEC's official media partners -- tonight at WOMB in Shibuya, Tokyo. Expect to bear witness to new and experimental gear, get your hands on a few cutting-edge gadgets, enjoy live music and DJs, engorge yourself on food and drink, and let's not forget, no meetup would be complete without free giveaways! If you don't remember just how much fun we all had last year, here's your reminder. Trust us, you don't want to miss this. Here are the details, see you soon! Update: Aaand... the list is closed again. You're welcome to line up, but no guarantees at this point. Date: September 27, 2010 Time: 8:00PM to 11: 00PM JST Location: WOMB (map)
PAX 10 winners announced for PAX '10
The ten independently-developed games that will be featured on the show floor at PAX Prime 2010 have been announced. There are a few recognizable names in this year's PAX 10 collection, including Super Meat Boy and Retro City Rampage-- but there are also plenty of lesser-known (but assuredly spectacular) indie titles in the mix as well, like the pictured Fowl Space. Check out the full list of featured titles posted just past the jump, or catch a glimpse of each game in the gallery below. If you want to give the games a once-over at PAX Prime, you might want to grab one of the remaining one-day passes for the event. %Gallery-97577%
PS3 Slim 'Play Face' ads invade Shibuya Station
Sony's marketing gurus are pulling out all the stops to make sure people hear about their newly emaciated console -- in Japan, they're even making special efforts to totally creep people out as they do so. The "Play Face" campaign has expanded beyond the realm of bizarre television advertisements, and landed squarely on the walls of Tokyo's super-busy Shibuya station. Japanese tech blog AndriaSang captured the haunting sight, seen in the image above. We briefly considered sending in our own countenance to the Play Face campaign's website, but we're not sure that our current look of complete and utter confusion would help sell any hardware. [Image]
Wii a winner in love (hotels)
Another demographic conquered! Straight from the streets of Shibuya, Anoop Gantayat reports that the Wii has become a big hit with Japan's love hotels, establishments designed for couples interested in booking a little business time. Some of the more expensive examples contain ceiling mirrors, rotating beds, S&M gear, and now ... probably Wii Sports! Horses for courses, and all that.And get this: Anoop reckons that the Wii has usurped the PlayStation 2 as the preferred choice of love hotels up and down the land, thus landing a crucial blow in the console wars for Ninty. Head here for more details and a couple of pictures (just of the signs, obviously).See also: Porn for Wii: Dark Room Sex Game and Why the Wii and sex don't mix.
Asylums, nurses, and gore: Dementium's awesome Japanese launch event
Dementium: The Ward launches in Japan today, and Japanese publisher Interchannel-Holon could not have found a more perfect venue to promote Renegade Kid's horror title*. "Alcatraz E.R." is a novelty restaurant in Tokyo's Shibuya ward with a mental asylum theme where patrons must announce their blood type before entering. They are then handcuffed by girls dressed as nurses who serve up food in surgical trays and drinks in hospital drips.In other words, it's a totally amazing and ideal place for a Dementium promotion. Hit the break for more gory pics of the press-only event (our invites must have got lost in the mail). * Admittedly, they could have used an actual abandoned psychiatric asylum, but that probably comes with its own issues.%Gallery-4929%
Cross-dressing for stat boosts: another The World Ends With You innovation
The World Ends With You really does seem to be carefully designed, well-balanced game Alisha's review makes it out to be. That's not to say we would ever doubt our own reviews (which are always 100% accurate), but that this latest article from Siliconera offers another specific example of the amount of thought that went into the creation of this clever game.Basically, the game uses a "bravery" stat to determine which clothing characters can wear. Bravery can be raised over time, to the point where Neku can wear clothing that isn't necessarily designed for him -- like girls' dresses. This is brilliant because not only does it keep Neku from equipment that would give him another character's abilities and thus overpower him, the stat cleverly mirrors the real world -- as in, only exceptional bravery would allow a teenage boy to slip on a dress for its combat effectiveness.
E-books get massive subway ads in Tokyo
Nintendo wants Japanese subway riders to read more e-books, apparently, as these giant ads for software DS Bungaku Zenshuu are popping up in the Tokyo underground. The above Shibuya advertisement shows that Nintendo is committed to the Genius Sonority-developed title, which hit Japanese retail shelves last week.Would you find an e-book reader helpful on your DS?[Via Game | Life]
Mizuguchi launches in style
While the rest of the world has had the ability to enjoy Mizuguchi's Lumines II, Japan only recently got access to the puzzler. Unlike America and Europe, where the game was published by Buena Vista Games, this Q Entertainment effort is self-published in Japan, marking it as a huge milestone for the once-smalltime developer.To celebrate the launch of Lumines II, Mizuguchi held a massive party in Air, a famous hot spot, a few blocks south of Shibuya station. Famitsu was on hand, offering tournaments, and the alcohol flowed freely. Check out IGN to see more pics and details from a night of puzzle-inspired debauchery.See also:PSP Fanboy review: Lumines II
DS doubles as tour guide
NeoGAF forum member Reno has recorded the latest instance of Nintendo's DS used to guide patrons through an art exhibit. In this case, an M.C. Escher show at Shibuya's Bunkamura entertainment complex featured customized DS Lites, complete with floor maps and guided audio tours. Many of the works were reproduced on the touch screen, and the stylus could be used to enlarge certain areas of the image, allowing users to examine the Escher pieces in greater detail.[Via Go Nintendo]See also: Nintendo's buttonless DS, a poetry project
Near-perfect glass CD hits stores in Akihabara, Shibuya for $831
You know how your audiophile friends insist on only the finest media on which to store their music -- forsaking MP3s and the iTunes Store in favor of vinyl or CDs? Well, if those audiophiles have deep pockets (as many of seem to), they'll probably be very interested in this new glass CD that's just come out of Japan. Suenori Fukui has recently invented a transparent glass CD that he says is guaranteed to not distort or warp. As Mainichi Interactive reports: "As glass CDs are completely transparent, information on them can be read perfectly, improving sound quality. They are not affected by heat or humidity and remain in perfect condition forever." The first glass CD recording of J.S. Bach's "Air on G String" (not to be confused with Sebastian Bach's "Show me your g-string," which we really wish existed) will be on sale at Ishimaru Denki in Akihabara and Tower Records in Shibuya for ¥98,700 ($831).[Via The Raw Feed]
Hello Kitty invades the Epson Endeavor NA101
Until now, hardcore Hello Kitty fans deeply lamented the fact that their laptops were clashing with their iPods, cellphones, and SD cards. Fear not, legions of the kawaii army, Sanrio Japan has just released an Epson Endeavor NA101 rebranded with Kitty's lovely mug (or optionally, 20 of her mugs) on the cover. You'll pay a ¥44,000 ($376) premium for this though, compared to the un-Kittyified blank NA101. But really, that's such a small price to pay to have the cutest computer in Shibuya.
